NASA Uses 3D Printing Technology

Article was created on:

2011-12-09 09:40:16

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Along with recyclable ink cartridges, 3D printing is arguably one of the biggest things to happen to the print industry recently, and now NASA has begun to use the technology to create spare parts for space journeys.

NASA has recently selected a US firm's proposal to build a 3D printer for the space station and in theory the new technology could enable the manufacture of spare parts or tools on the fly, as it were.

Made in Space, came out of Singularity University which is a school for start-ups aimed at solving the world's biggest problems and the company's chief technology officer told of his belief in the project.

Jason Dunn, also co-founder of the company, said: "When a tool breaks, at the very worst the space-station crew calls Houston and says, 'Send us a CAD (computer-aided design) file of that tool,' and they'll be able to 3D-print it."

The development is the latest step forward for the printer technology which is growing all the time.